Gases that are used for therapeutic purposes are typically provided in containers, such as cylinders, that are required to have specific threads on their valves to help identify different types of gases and to prevent a mix up of such gases during treatment. However, there are often times the availability of different concentrations of therapeutic gases that come in the same type of cylinder and with the same type of valve, which can ultimately cause confusion as to how much gas is being delivered during treatment. Additionally, the United States Food and Drug Administration may allow up to a 10 percent variation in gas concentration in the cylinder from the nominal concentration on the cylinder label. It is therefore important for healthcare providers or others using therapeutic gas delivery equipment to know what the starting concentration of each cylinder is, particularly when mixing gases to titrate a precise dose. Further, knowing the actual concentration being drawn from the gas cylinder can improve the accuracy of the dose delivered to a patient.
Gas cylinders are typically stored in outside storage facilities or in less than optimally clean rooms. The cylinders are therefore frequently exposed to dust and dirt and external labels, especially those that must be read by optical scanning methods (e.g., bar codes, etc.), may be obscured and ultimately miscommunicated to the controller or operator.
Further, many gas delivery systems require that more than one cylinder be available for the patient so that there is no interruption of gas delivery. Typically, only one cylinder has its valve open to deliver gas, while a backup cylinder is next to the device with its valve closed. When broad range or optical sensors are used to identify cylinders in use, the system may not be able to determine the actual information about the gas cylinder supplying gas unless it is known whether the valve is open, and therefore providing gas to the system.
Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for a gas delivery regulator that can collect information about the gas from the cylinder or container holding the gas. The present invention addresses this unmet need in the art.